Success Story: Medical University of South Carolina

How an Application Rationalization Strategy and
Playbook helped MUSC prioritize 100+ applications
to be decommissioned.

Our Challenge

Through merger and acquisitions and system replacement projects, the Medical University of South Carolina Health system (MUSC) developed a sizable catalog of redundant applications. To achieve the return on investment (ROI) associated with the M&A and system replacements and reduce technical debt, MUSC Information Solutions (IS) needed to assess, prioritize, and deco mission 100+ applications – without disrupting MUSC Health Operations or IS.

Our Solution

Pivot Point Consulting partnered with MUSC IS and business area leaders to facilitate broad adoption of an application rationalization and decommissioning strategy and playbook. These methodology and tools delivered allowed MUSC IS to efficiently plan and execute the review and rationalization of applications and platforms in a manner that is efficient, broadly understood and endorsed, minimally disruptive to end users, and mitigates risk. Additionally, the approach taken gave MUSC the tactics to solve their immediate problems, and the tools to continue solving for future challenges.

Taking a programmatic and pragmatic approach, the playbook and tools focused on a portfolio view, and included measures of success, costs/ROI, governance, and communication tools. Additionally, a current state assessment was performed, focused on their Application Portfolio Management system deployment. A strategic pathway was developed and initiated, to increase both the use of the tools, and to deploy additional capabilities.

Our Impact

A decommissioning target application exercise validated assumptions and uncovered additional risk.

The PMO has incorporated the decommissioning methodology into new system implementation projects.

The analysis revealed savings of roughly $1.7M over 10 years.

On the Success of the Project

Pivot Point Consulting understood we needed a strategic approach to planning and executing application rationalization and decommissioning. Using their proven methodology, they worked with us to establish a programmatic approach, enabling MUSC to manage its IT assets efficiently. Because of this work, we are able to realize immediate and long-term savings, and have the capability to do this work ourselves.

Amy Bandy-Taylor

Applications Architect, Information Solutions